Position As Desired: A Symposium on Artistic Practice and African Diasporic Communities in Canada Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto March 5, 2011

Wedge Curatorial Projects hosted an all-day academic symposium, concurrent to the presentation of Position As Desired at the Royal Ontario Museum, which invited 19 participants to discuss the artistic presence of African diasporic communities in Canada.

Activities included four moderated panels exploring history, memory, identity and community within black Canadian artistic communities.

The first panel addressed the history and representation of African Canadian artists and communities. Panelists include Deanna Bowen, Dominique Fontaine and David Zapparoli, moderated by Peter James Hudson. Participants on the second panel addressed black artists’ acceptance from the art community. Panelists included Sandra Brewster, Andrea Fatona, Charmaine Nelson and Karina Vernon, moderated by Julie Crooks. The third panel was a moderated discussion with the exhibition’s four featured contemporary photographers – Christina Leslie, Megan Morgan, Dawit L. Petros and Stacey Tyrell, moderated by Elizabeth Harney. The final panel discussed the social, cultural and institutional priorities required to support artists’ work in International Canadian art communities. Panelists included Ngaire Blakenberg, Warren Crichlow, Gaëtane Verna and Deborah Willis. Moderated by Rinaldo Walcott.

Presented by Wedge Curatorial Projects, with assistance from the Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council, Toronto Arts Council, and the Government of Canada.

Witness As Desired: A Celebration of African Canadian Film TIFF Bell LightBox, TorontoFebruary 20, 2011

A musical performance which featured Andrew Craig debuting his new suite titled My Family Album. The performance was followed by a conversation with Andrew and Kenneth Montague.

The Fine Art of Collecting Studio Museum Harlem January, 2011

In January 2011, Wedge Director Kenneth Montague spoke at the Studio Museum Harlem as part of their ongoing series, The Fine Art of Collecting.

Designed to educate a new generation of art connoisseurs and provide them with access to curators, conservators, appraisers, galleries and collections, this seminar presented Montague, artist Dawit L. Petros and collector Alvin Hall in a lively discussion about their private collections, their influences and the ever-evolving art market.

New Orleans-based artist and activist Jackie Sumell discusses The House that Herman Built, her longtime collaborative project with former Black Panther and current Louisiana Penitentiary inmate, Herman Wallace.